A Twist in Destiny
by Yokomi
Summary: 'There must be another way to live. A life away from destruction, hate and blood. A life in which we can trust each other with no worries. And from now on, till my demise, I will try to find it.' FUTURE TIME -Temporarily on Hiatus-
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Hello everyone! Back with another story! This story, however, is different from others because someone requested that I write it. So here we are! Enjoy, read and review! :D

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DBZ!

Chapter 1:

His plans were finally falling into place. The key to his success and achieving his life's dreams were only a click of a button away. However, this scheme needs everything to be perfect and flawless. Thus, he checked the codes on his massive computer once more. He scanned the carious codes he had entered and pressed the button that will change his life and make him the ruler of his planet. In nothing more than a minute, all the information was sent to three chipsets, which were placed on a tray. Then, he held the plate and moved to three tables, which were labeled '16', '17' and '18', placed in the center of his underground laboratory.

He uncovered the tables which were occupied by three dormant humans, a boy with black hair, a girl with blonde hair and a man with orange tufts. The three were wearing identical uniforms with the 'Red Ribbon Army' logo on each. Dr. Gero quickly inserted the chipsets in their rightful place and moved to his computer once again. His androids were finally going to wake up from their slumber, and he was giddy just by thinking about it.

He pulled a lever, which provoked energy to flow through many tubes connected to each of the three humans. The immense power caused a loud sound to erupt. However, the mad scientist didn't care, he didn't even notice since he was too preoccupied by the sheer beauty of his puppets' awakening. One by one, they got up; their cold, light blue eyes examined the place they were in. They heard a strange sound, so they instantly looked at the source of laughter.

"Ah, my great androids, you're finally awake!" The doctor grinned as he clapped his hands giddily, "You're here at last to fulfill my wishes!" The androids blinked lazily at the old man as he went on and on about what they were going to do 'for him'.

"Why would you think that we're her to do anything for you?" The boy with black hair, whose table had '17' written on it, interrupted. The scientist growled in warning.

"Do not interrupt me 17!" he yelled while his left eye twitched, "Now, as I was saying, you have to destroy anything and everything that stands in your way. Everyone who refuses to do as I wish, you put him down. Understand?"

It was silent after that. Up until the blonde android 18 found that something was amiss.

"Why should we?" she asked.

"Because I created you, I brought you to life and you have to do as I say," he said annoyingly, "Also, if you don't I'll use this," he said as he revealed a device, "to shut you down."

"I don't think that's about to happen." 17 said in a monotone. All of a sudden, he disappeared and reappeared right in front of the doctor, took the device from his hand and returned to his place between the two, now standing, androids.

"Give that back." Dr. Gero growled.

"Do you think we should give it back to him?" 17 asked his two companions. The blonde shook her head while 16 remained silent, like he had been for a long time now, "I say it's time to get rid of the mad doctor."

"You, you wouldn't dare!" the doctor ground out, his eyes bulging out of his head. The dark-haired android smirked as he dashed forward, knocking the doctor back. Then, he grabbed the scientist's head and crushed it with his hand making blood to spurt all over him. The android's smirk widened when he finished his job.

"Let's go have some fun!" he told his companions.

"I must destroy Son Goku…" the orange-haired man spoke for the first time.

"Well, since it's your first thing to say, I guess okay. Killing him will be fun, right 18?" Nevertheless, the girl didn't respond, she just watched the blood trickle from her brother's hand and clothes. _Drip…Drip…Drip…_ it produced as it made contact with the ground. No one in this room understood her. She didn't ask why they should destroy for Dr. Gero; she wondered why they had to eradicate anything at all! However, she decided to go with the flow and do as her brother says, for now. She trusted her brother, and she knew that she can always count on him. He was always there for her and her for him.

She nodded in answer to his question and followed her two friends outside. It was only this Son Goku who will be killed. And no one else.

_3 years later…_

Their newest mission was a success! They have annihilated a whole city with all its inhabitants, flora and animals. All in less than thirty minutes! The three androids floated above the now destroyed buildings and cold bodies, two of them in admiration and the last in hope of this city being the last one… but she knew it wouldn't be the final one. After all, she has been wishing for the exact same thing when they wiped out the city before this one. And the city before that. And like a hundred towns before it.

"So which place is it gonna be next?" 17 asked happily while dusting himself. 16 pointed to the right.

"I sense some power levels in that direction. They might prove to be a bit… fun." He said in an automatic tone. The black-haired teen nodded and trailed behind his companion. 'What do we do this for? I don't understand…' However, 18 sighed and flew after them. The three made it to the site in a flash. The town seemed uninhabited and lonely, but the three humanoids knew better after raiding numerous cities like this before.

"I'll start this time," 16 said as he flashed a toothy grin. He prepared a medium-sized ki blast and sent it spiraling down towards the place he felt the power levels.

Under the buildings and in the dungeons the androids were currently above, a group of people huddled together as a certain bald-headed monk warned them about the arrival of their might-be killers.

"Please everyone, stay calm!" Krillen shouted as the murmurs of the crowd started to rise, "Everything is going to be okay! And we'll make it through this if we st-" his words died on his tongue when a huge tremor shook the area the people were gathered in.

"They found us!"

"They're going to kill us!" Civilians panicked, ran, tried to hide, though most of them knew it was in vain. Krillen didn't want to watch these civilians die; he didn't want to see them perish. Thus, he decided to do something that most would regard as stupid and completely reckless. But if it was within his power to help these people, he sure would do it.

"Listen everyone!" he yelled capturing some of the people's attention, "I'm going to try to save you all. So, please listen!" he shouted again, this time effectively shutting everyone up, "I'm going to go up there, and I'm going to drive these insane things away from here."

"No! Krillen you can't! You'll just die like all of them!" A woman with blue hair hollered from between the people in the crowd, "Goku, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha and… Vegeta! Don't you remember, Krillen? Don't you remember what they did to our friends?" Bulma asked, her voice coming out small, which was unusual for her. Her vision was blurry as tears crept into her blue eyes, "Please Krillen, you can't do this to me… I don't want to lose my last surviving close friend…" Krillen smiled bravely, betraying the feelings he was having inside.

"Don't worry Bulma. You won't be alone. Trunks is here. And he's going to protect all of you. Won't you Trunks?" the lavender-haired boy walked towards his mother and smiled happily at his friend. Trunks nodded cheerfully.

"I'm gonna keep you safe, mom!" he said with a smile, "Krillen was teaching me how to use the sword since I could walk, I'm sure I can defend us!" Bulma smiled at her only son, his attitude and over-confidence slightly reminding her of his father, but she couldn't think of that now. She has to be strong and help these people go through this alive. She nodded at Krillen and wiped away her tears. Krillen, then, took his leave and prepared himself for his certain last fight ever.

"Okay everyone, follow me. We're going to take the other exit and Krillen is going to lead them to the other side of town until we're all out!" she said as she held her son's hand and led the group to the exit.

Above the ground, the androids were impatient. Usually, people would already be running all around the place, screaming in fear and terror. However, instead of the running humans they expected to see; only one came out of their hidden hole. As 17 and 16 were preparing their finishing blow, the short man ran away.

"I just love it when they run. It makes the chase more exciting!" 17 exclaimed as he pursued the monk like a predator would its prey, and 16 was none the wiser. 18 stayed where she was in the air. She knew this might be a trick to distract them from the real booty. Therefore, she decided to go in the opposite direction. She wasn't disappointed. People of all heights and sizes were scurrying like mice to another hiding place, and they were continuing their path, seemingly to the forest close to the town. 18 wa loss. She had two options now. First, she can call her brother and 16 to this place and watch the blood bath to follow. Second, she can turn around, leave this place and let the humans be… And so, an internal war began. Her larger programmed side told her to call them, but what was left of her humanity screamed at her to let the poor people be, and even try to help them.

She pursed her lips in determination and descended down to the people. Gasps of shock and fright accompanied her presence. She looked upon each of the unmoving creatures' faces and saw the same thing. Dread, horror and terror. All except one. He is a child, he had purple hair and his face was not contorting in fear. After all, she knew fear when she saw it. What she saw was courage and determination. She flew over to the little boy who was with his mother. She could sense the woman's fear, but she didn't see it, and the blue-haired woman didn't let it show. 18 smiled at the two, and left the site as if she hadn't seen a thing.

"Let's keep moving…" Bulma mumbled as she trudged on, her heart thumping wildly against her ribcage.

18 followed the sound of laughter and found her friends.

"Oh 18! Where were you? You should have seen the look on his face when we caught up with him! He was fast but not fast enough, huh 16?" the stoic android nodded while 18 blocked the rest of the one-sided conversation. _If only they knew…_

Author's Notes: That's it for chapter 1! Hope you enjoyed! Please read and review/favorite/follow! ;)

I'll be posting the characters' power levels. However, these power levels are by no means accurate; they are just for you to compare the characters' strength. So here they are:

Krillen: 6,000,000 (Full Power)

Trunks (4 years old): 1,000 (Full Power)

Android 16: ?

Cyborg 17: ?

Cyborg 18: ?


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Let me start by saying thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story ^^ You've really made my day! Someone grabbed my attention to 16's OOCness, it's just because he was fully-programmed, I forgot to say so… :S Also, Trunks was 4 years old in the previous chapter, and this one is 12 years later, so he's 16 now. Anyways, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN DBZ!

Chapter 2

_12 years later…_

"I'm still hungry mama…" a little girl complained to her mother, once again being forced to eat some leftover soup. The woman sighed.

"Here, sweetie, you can have mine." She said with a smile as she gave up her plate for her daughter's sake. Unfortunately, this spectacle was ordinary around the area the two were currently in. It made Trunks cringe and feel as though he was helpless. Granted, he can't bring any more food than the scouts they send to do so. His higher ki would undoubtedly fetch the androids right where he was. Thus, it was decided that some chosen people would go out and bring food for everyone there. However, they were always being decreased in number with every search, and sometimes, none returned at all. That's why Trunks was here waiting and not training. The scouts who were sent the other week haven't returned yet. Of course they sent another, but that group which they lost, had one member, who, in Trunks' eyes, was the best friend he could ever dream of having. He licked his lips, and focused again, trying his best to find his friend's ki, but to no avail. He was very grateful that Krillen taught him a lot of things, but the one thing he didn't was the ability to sense ki. He thought that it wasn't useful since the androids didn't have ki to be sensed. Granted, they didn't, but it would put the sixteen-year old at ease to know that his best friend was fine. His eyes caught movement in the vast space in front of him. He squinted his eyes and looked ahead, readying himself in case he needed to fight. Then, he spotted four figures scurrying through the long-grassed land, occasionally looking upwards. Finally, the four made it to the hideout.

"Hi Trunks, watch 'a doing out here?" a blonde boy, seeming to be of Trunks' age, asked, "Aren't you supposed to be training?"

"I would, Kitai, if you haven't scared me half to death! What took you so long?" Trunks questioned the man who just shrugged.

"We were sent out to find food, weren't we?" Trunks nodded, "Well, all the nearby places have no food left. So we had to go farther this time."

"I think we should change the hiding place. With no means of finding food, half of us will starve to death before any scouts return," one of the other people, who looked like he was in his thirties, commented, "That is if they do at all." He mumbled whilst clenching his fists, "Give me the damned capsules, brat! I need to deliver those to their rightful place." He yelled at Kitai. The one in question quickly reached into his pocket and gave him what he wanted. The capsules were snatched out of his hands, and the man left grumbling all the way.

"Well, we would all miss his grumpiness, if he would ever be one of those who mysteriously disappear, huh bro?" The third member of the group remarked as he made his way to the duo, his brother in tow.

"You guys, you know he lost his brother to those monsters two weeks ago! You shouldn't be making fun of him…" Kitai said, his honey eyes downcast and holding some sort of sadness.

"Yes, you're right." Trunks agreed, "But their day will also come, and I'll make sure it does!" The other three nodded.

"Anyways, Trunks, now that you're sure that I'm fine, why don't you go train with Mr. Gohan?" Trunks nodded and moved away from the group. He stopped in his tracks when he heard someone calling his name. He turned half-way to look at his friends.

"Never lose hope, my friend! Hope is my name after all!" Kitai said with a grin, and Trunks smiled back. 'Time for training…' he thought as he made his way to find Gohan.

-oOo-

Gohan was having a fight. An imaginary fight would be more like it. He punched and kicked with powerful force. He swirled and twirled imagining that he was dodging numerous ki blasts. Then, he disappeared out of sight, only to reappear where his surprised made-up opponent would be and kicked him down with enough strength to bring a mountain tumbling to the ground. Just as he was about to send a ki blast of his own towards his 'adversary', he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Come in." Trunks opened the door and made his way towards his sensei. They greeted each other, and decided to spar for a while.

Each of them took a side and their respective fighting stance. They both raised their ki for the upcoming battle. After a few seconds, they both pounced at each other. They met in the center of the room, each sending a punch towards the other. However, they both brought the other hand up and caught the fist aimed at their faces before it reached. Then, Gohan opened the hand Trunks was currently holding and launched a weak blast at the lavender-haired boy, just enough to provoke Trunks to let go of the older boy's hand, and take a few steps back away from the smoke. He wasn't damaged at all by the ki blast, but he knew better. This was one of Gohan's many strategies. He stayed on alert and heightened his senses. He knew Gohan was going to attack him… soon. 'If I knew how to sense ki, I would have known exactly where he was!' he thought to himself as he searched around him. He wasn't shocked in the slightest when he felt a staggering pain shoot down his back and saw the ground getting closer. Before he reached the earth, he caught himself and dodged another kick which was aimed at his abdomen. This time, it was Trunks' turn to disappear and Gohan's to stand around in patience. Trunks raised his ki for one second. One second, which was more than enough to grab Gohan's attention and alert him of the Buster Cannon that was spiraling down on him. To Trunks, it appeared as though the blast caught Gohan head-on. Therefore, Trunks did the one thing one mustn't do in battle, he dropped his guard. To say he was astonished when he heard the familiar chanting of a Kamehameha was an understatement. In his bewilderment, Trunks didn't even attempt to move out of the way until the blast was very close to him. He used his hands as a last defense and ignored the gnawing pain on his palm. He couldn't take the pain any longer, so he blocked his face with his hands and let the blast engulf him wholly.

"You should always be on alert Trunks. If you were fighting a real opponent, you would have gotten killed!" Gohan chastised the younger boy. Just as the two were about to resume their spar, a loud noise stopped them.

The two stepped outside the room they were in and into a crowd outside.

"Everybody, this way!" Bulma yelled at the top of her lungs, "We need to get to the underground exit, come on people!"

"Bulma!" Gohan called from between the mass of people, "Are they here?" he asked once he and Trunks got to the woman.

"Not yet, but one of the scouts who just returned said that he saw them flying close to this area. We're going underground and continue digging till we reach a safer place." Bulma informed receiving an understanding nod from the black-haired boy.

"Trunks, you stay here with these people in the front. I'll go back, okay?" Trunks nodded, "Make sure everyone makes it to the new hideout, you're their protector now Trunks." Trunks' face was blank.

"What do you mean Gohan? You are coming back! They're not even here yet!"

"No, Trunks, I won't wait for them to come here. I'll stop them from coming here. I'll lead them away! They won't know anyone's here…" Gohan stated.

"Then… then, I'll come with you!" Trunks said, "I can help! I really can!"

"Trunks they need you here…" Gohan sighed, he didn't like his plan either, but if it was the right thing to do, then he would do it, "I'll try my best to make it back. Don't let me down, Trunks." With that said, Gohan turned and ran; afraid that he might change his mind or that Trunks might follow him. Trunks had an odd sense of déjà vu right then. _I'll lead them away, I'll stop them, I won't let them come here… You have to stay behind. Don't let me down, Trunks._ All these statements were repeated again and again by the older super-powered people. And the last one of them was most probably never going to be seen again. Which means that, now, he was the very last one capable of protecting these innocent people. He wanted to follow him, he really did, but he knew that if he did, he would be letting him down. He would be letting everyone down. So despite all the contradicting feelings inside of him, he gestured to the people around him to continue walking.

-oOo-

"I saw one of them! I know I did!" 17 exclaimed as he scanned the area around them, looking fot any sign of a human or living creature around the area. However, the only thing he saw was a cricket.

"Looks like 17 has started imagining things…" 16 stated, "This is the first sign of losing one's brain." 18 laughed at this.

"Shut up both of you!" 17 shouted, his cheeks taking a hint of red, "Let's just keep moving. I think I see a town over there. Hope it's not empty like the last one." 18 flew to where 17 was and narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know, are you sure?" 18 asked sarcastically, receiving a hit on the head, "Chill, I didn't mean anything by it…" she said innocently.

"Sure you didn't…" 17 replied, "Come on let's just go!"

"I don't think you're gonna be going anywhere…" A new voice was heard. The trio turned and saw a black-haired boy.

"Who are you?" 16 wondered aloud.

"I'm Son Gohan. And I'm here to stop you." He said pointing at them. What he earned, was laughter.

"You," 17 said humorously while looking him up and down, "stop us?" he laughed some more, "You're not only out-matched but also out-numbered; even a toddler can do the math."

"So it appears to be…" Gohan said before transforming. Nonetheless, this didn't deter the twins or their friend for they fought a super saiyan before. And 18 broke his arm effortlessly. According to them, it was just a change in hair and eye color and nothing else.

"I've got this one!" 17 said before either of his companions could open their mouths. Thus, Gohan took his usual stance while 17 crossed his arms and waited for his opponent to attack. Gohan screamed and charged at his adversary. He assaulted him with a flurry of punches and kicks. With a strong roundhouse kick, he sent 17 towards the ground. To anyone watching, it would seem that Gohan was winning, but in reality, 17 was not even attempting to defend himself. Before the android crashed into the ground, he corrected himself and appeared right behind the half breed. Gohan turned around to continue his fight, only to feel an ache throbbing in his chest. He closed his eyes and reopened them to look down on his chest. He felt time stop when he saw 17 pull his hand out of where his heart should have been. He tasted blood rolling up his throat before it seeped out of his open mouth. His blurry view caught a glimpse of his killer's cold light blue and he felt the world vanishing from all around him. 16 watched emotionlessly as Gohan's body descended down and collided with the Earth's surface while 18 winced a bit when she saw the lifeless body. 17 cleaned his hands of his latest victim's blood, staining his shirt.

"Well, now that everything is in order, shall we continue to the next town?" 16 proposed excitedly. 17 and 16 sped off while 18 lingered behind. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and subconsciously walked towards the corpse. She cringed as his glazed over eyes stared right back at her. She leaned in and shut his eyes so that it seemed as if he were sleeping. But of course, he wasn't.

"Good-bye Son Gohan." She whispered prior to turning around and trailing after her friends.

-oOo-

Later that day, all the people were safely situated in another underground hideout, Trunks decided to check up on Gohan. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't killed, but just badly injured, and he needed help. Thus, he set off in search of his mentor. He looked and looked, the weather was cold, and it had started raining a while back. Moreover, Trunks was seriously considering turning back. However, a slash of red on the black ground caught his attention. Thus, Trunks descended and watched the corpse from afar. Finding enough courage, he stepped close to the figure. When he recognized the bloody mess in front of him, he felt his world spinning. He saw drops of water slipping on his cheek, but it definitely wasn't raindrops. He collapsed and fell to his knees. But really, he didn't know what to expect. Perhaps he was holding on to a non-existent hope too tightly. _Hope. _There was no such thing as _hope_. At least not anymore. He let everything go, and his ki rose drastically. But he was not aware of that. In fact, he was not aware of anything around him at all. He felt his aura changing, and indeed it was. The usual blue aura that covered him was long gone, and it transformed into a golden color. His hair stood up, not purple or pinkish, but a yellow shade. His usually blue eyes turned emerald green. The sight was magnificent, but its cause was not. A voice from his right brought him back to reality.

"Well, well what have we here?"

Author's Notes: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed the story. And I would love it if you left a review again. It would really make my day, and when I'm happy, updates come a lot faster ;)

I'll be posting the characters' power levels. However, these power levels are by no means accurate; they are just for you to compare the characters' strength. So here they are:

Future Gohan: 80,000,000 (Max Power)

Android 16: ?

Cyborg 17: 150,000,000 (suppressed)

Cyborg 18: ?

And also, here's a response to all the reviews on Chapter 1:

**gesto: **Great chapter! That was really nice describing of the Future timeline.  
It's really nice of how you describe the whole thing. I thought that 16 wasn't activate yet in the Future. Hope to see more!

**JJ: **Thanks! I'm glad you like it! I hope you like the idea of having 16 already activated, I just found it best to activate him sooner rather than later!

**Manwe0035: **Very goooood story !

**JJ: **Thanks! I hope you continue reading it :D

**amariko: **Nice chapter, I liked the way you started the story!  
I would like to see more of that, that really interesting  
I kinda wanted to see also the fight against Krillin even it was short ;)  
update soon please!

**JJ:** I'm glad you like the first chapter and extra happy that you find it entertaining! I'm sorry that I didn't include Krillen's fight, but I promise there'll be more fights to look out for in the future!

**Guest****:** Your story is really great! I really want to see more of it, it's just the start so it's hard to see where it's will go.  
Wonder what you'll come up next! Please update soon!

**JJ: **It's great? That's awesome to hear! I hope that you find it great till the very end!

**Crush48:**Nice story.  
Only issue I have is that Android 16 is extremely out of character. He is only interested in completing his mission, which is to destroy Goku. He wouldn't even attempt to kill humans because it is not in his programming.  
Besides that, good chapter overall.

**JJ: **Thanks! The only reason he's out of character is that in my story he is fully programmed just like how he was originally supposed to be.

**Alex**: it's was really good start, it's has potential!  
I really like how good and gentle you made 18, she was really though that Goku will be the last one, but...  
Just great, I like it.

**JJ: **Thank you! I know right? Too bad he wasn't… I agree that 18 is a great woman!

Again, thanks to all my reviewers/followers and of course all who favorite this story! 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I am so freakishly sorry for the long, long time it took me to update! And I know no matter how many apologies I say, it won't make up for it, but please don't lose hope in this fic yet… Enjoy this chapter; it's a lot longer than normal ;)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DBZ!

Chapter 3

"Well, well what have we here?" The cold, malicious voice spoke; Trunks froze and looked to his right. Right then, Trunks' mind screamed at him to attack head-on and attain revenge for his former sensei and best friend. However, Trunks was no fool. He knew he was weaker than Gohan. And if that damned cyborg could defeat him with such ease, there was little Trunks could do. Besides, as he looked behind the cocky guy, he saw two others. So not only was he out-matched but also out-numbered. Never a good combination…

"You get rid of one rat and the other comes scurrying back! You guys are just too easy!" the black-haired cyborg shook his head, his lips twisted up into a creepy smile, "I'm guessing that's your transformed form, huh? Not much of a powerful transformation if I do say so myself," he continued the one-sided conversation, "That one," he said pointing at the dead saiyan, "didn't put up much of a fight. I was sorely disappointed. I even gave him a few free hits!" Seventeen raised his arms up in exasperation, "Honestly, you lot have absolutely no chance of survival. Just give it up already!"

"Why don't you just shut the hell up?!" Trunks yelled out, his previous fear forgotten and replaced by the same anger he felt when he found Gohan's lifeless body. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander back to the motionless form near him. Everything around him blurred and he couldn't see the androids anymore. He didn't hear Seventeen's nasty comments or infuriating remarks. He watched the corpse. The body of a friend. A pang of guilt washed over the teenager's heart.

"_Don't worry Bulma. You won't be alone. Trunks is here. And he's going to protect all of you. Won't you Trunks?" the lavender-haired boy walked towards his mother and smiled happily at his friend. Trunks nodded cheerfully._

"_Trunks, you stay here with these people in the front. I'll go back, okay?" Trunks nodded, "Make sure everyone makes it to the new hideout, you're their protector now Trunks."_

_Don't let me down Trunks. _

Involuntary, Trunks found his mind wandering back to the past. He remembered how Gohan used to train him and laugh a bit when he did something wrong and laugh wholeheartedly when he almost had something right. Without even realizing it, he was instantly reminded of _that_ time.

_*Flashback*_

_The lavender-haired boy walked bravely towards the training room, which his mother built a while ago. It had special mechanism to be able to hide one's ki inside it. Thus, though Trunks had to hide his ki outside, there was no way of anyone detecting it inside the room. He didn't think about how his mother got a hold of the material needed, and he was sure he was never going to ask. Once you got that woman talking about one creation or another, she never shuts up; he shuddered as he remembered asking about the dragon radar once. _

_The almost seven-year-old sighed as he stopped right in front of the door and knocked before letting himself in. A teenaged Gohan cocked his head to one side questioningly._

"_Gohan…" Trunks called out eagerly, "I want you to teach me how to turn into a super saiyan!" The older boy looked quizzically at him. Then, his whole body shook with hardly contained laughter, "Hey! What's so funny?!" Trunks shouted over the booming chuckles, his former excitement forgotten. _

"_I'm sorry Trunks…" Gohan said once he regained his composure, "Transforming isn't something I can teach you, kiddo," _

"_Why not?" Trunks asked disappointment clear in his voice. _

"_Well, you see. It's a bit hard to explain, but I guess the simplest thing I can say is that it comes naturally, for example, when you're really angry or exceedingly sad. It might happen if you have an unwavering will to protect those precious to you. However, it's not a technique that could be taught," Gohan finished happy with the explanation he gave, "Nonetheless, we can always try to provoke it…" he thought out loud._

"_You really mean it?" Trunks said practically bouncing up and down, "We should start right now then! Come on, come on, come on!" Gohan nodded happily. He was just glad to know that despite all the chaos around them, the little boy could find sheer happiness in a thing such as this one. _

_However, the road to the transformation was hard, extremely so. It took all the willpower both saiyans had not to retreat and forget about the whole ordeal. Their determination and resolve finally paid off a few months later, which was a great feat in their opinion. It was two months after Trunks' birthday. The duo had been training relentlessly since they began their quest. _

"_Let's have a break," Gohan breathed out as he gasped for breath. Trunks was not fairing much better as he panted heavily a few feet away from his friend. The two had been at it since the first rays of sun showered through the hidden hole of the hideout and right now, the earliest bright light of the moon started seeping in instead. It didn't help their training one bit that they couldn't use any ki-induced type of attack in fear of causing the whole place to topple over the inhabitants' heads. Trunks sat down briskly as he fought to catch his breath. 'Come on, Trunks. It shouldn't be that hard,' he thought trying to give himself a little pep talk, 'Just think of why you're doing this,' Flashes of infinite bodies scattered around, bloodied and broken in a barren wasteland full of rubble and destroyed buildings instantly rose up in mind. Another memory of a fallen comrade followed by many more slowly made up his mind. He wouldn't wait any longer. No, he __**couldn't **__stand by and watch anymore! He stood up tiredly, but pushed the numbing pain of the simple task of getting up to the back of his mind. _

"_Let's continue," he rasped out. Taking in the boy's exhausted form, Gohan shook his head._

"_Let's call it a day off," he said as he made his way to the door._

"_No!" Trunks shouted surprising both Gohan and himself, "I can't… I can't quit now! I'm so close to it, I feel it!"_

"_You're tired now Trunks. If you train any harder, you won't accomplish anything. On the contrary, you'd be harming both your mind and body!" Gohan said again. _

"_You don't understand…" Trunks whispered, "I have to do this… I can't watch everyone close to me die," he shut his eyes closed as his ki rose slowly but surely, "I can't stand by and do nothing whilst everybody around me sacrifices themselves," he continued, his voice stronger than before, the power surged through his body and he could feel newfound vigor running through his veins, "I won't allow people to lose their lives because I was too helpless to do anything but stare!" He was practically yelling now, but Gohan paid that no mind and decided to keep him talking._

"_What are you going to do, then, Trunks? How are you going to help?" Gohan asked calmly. _

"_I'll defend everyone. I'll guard them till I take my final breath!" Golden light flashed momentarily but Trunks seemed oblivious to it. Trunks' mind got swamped with the images of people, laughing joyously, playing without fear of a looming evil, "Because there are always people I have to protect," Trunks' eyes opened revealing a strident emerald, "with my life!" _

_Gohan nodded approvingly at the seven-year-old, yet the boy still did not grasp what happened. _

"_Good work, Trunks. We're done with this training," Gohan said as he smiled cheerfully. He laughed as he opened the door and went out, "I'm sure you will do just as you said Trunks!" He called back to the kid. Trunks, however, was busy testing out his new power. 'I promise Gohan... and everyone… I will stand at nothing, and I will never stop fighting until we finally restore the peace to our world!' he nodded to himself before following the half-saiyan outside._

_*End of Flashback*_

'I couldn't save any of you…' A much more mature Trunks thought in misery, 'Goku, Piccolo, Krillen, Tien, Chiaoutzu, Yamcha, Gohan… father… But I swear… I swear your deaths aren't going to be in vain! I'm going to try harder and harder. And I will help this world find peace!' Trunks swallowed around the lump in his throat. The world refocused again and he could make out Seventeen's teasing laughter now. 'Geez… he's been talking this long?' Trunks was suddenly glad he really wasn't paying attention although the enemy might have taken advantage and attacked him.

"Shut up already Seventeen!" the girl android shouted, "You've been talking for five minutes straight, so either fight that boy or let him go! We have better things to do!"

"Yeah, yeah. Ready, brat?" Seventeen didn't give the teenager a chance to respond, but Trunks was already in his transformed state. Trunks blocked a punch aimed at his head but didn't notice the kick that followed until it made contact and caused him to fly a good distance away. Less than a minute into the fight, and things already didn't look too good for him.

Trunks took a deep breath before taking flight upwards not surprised when the android followed.

"Running away are we now?"

"Far from it," Trunks snorted in annoyance, "You flatter yourself too much," Trunks removed his sword from its holster and proceeded to attack the cyborg with it. "Rapid Sword Stream! (1)" He yelled out as he performed a series of slashes at Seventeen, all hitting the target. The last one pushed Seventeen downwards and Trunks didn't hesitate in continuing his assault, "Lightening Sword Slash (2)!" He slashed his sword in the air provoking the creation of waves of energy targeting Seventeen. Again, the attack hit the target head-on, and Trunks knew, then, that something was wrong. The cyborg was not even attempting to block or attack. What was happening?

"See, I told you, pitiful," The sound came from behind him and Trunks turned around quickly while launching another hit with the sword at Seventeen. This time, however, Seventeen raised his hand almost in boredom. However, the hand did not get sliced off. In fact, the only thing that happened was the echoing of the sound of metal clanging against Seventeen's fist. Trunsk didn't even want to know how strong the cyborg's hand was to be able to deflect a sword attack.

He didn't even have the time to since Seventeen started with an attack of his own. He punched the boy and followed with a kick to the ribs. Trunks was sent sailing through the air, too shocked and baffled to do anything but get thrown around like a ragdoll. His sword made direct contact with his hand, yet that accomplished nothing. He decided to accept his fate now. He was going to die then and there. 'NO!' a voice shouted inside his mind. As Seventeen continued his assault on his body, Trunks listened intently to the child's voice, 'Remember, we promised… we swore to protect everyone! We can't die until we accomplish that goal! Come on, have some faith in yourself! Fight back!' the child screamed at him. He replied evenly, 'How do you beat an opponent a hundred times stronger than you are? How do you rescue people… when you can't even save your own life?' The kid shut up at that.

"Seventeen!" Eighteen shouted from below, "You took your share of this fight and I'm getting bored… It's my turn now!"

"What?! You can't do that!" Seventeen exclaimed.

"Let her continue this fight, Seventeen. We can go on ahead and destroy something elsewhere while she finishes up here," Sixteen replied automatically. Seventeen let out a sigh of defeat.

"Alright then, let's go Sixteen!" The two guys flew at lightning speed away from the place. Trunks woke up from his reverie when the attacks stopped. He blinked trying to find out what happened and how while there were three androids a second ago, there was only one now.

"What-" Trunks couldn't continue his sentence before a strange pain on the back of his head caused his whole world to blur in and out of sight until it settles on a dark, black world. Eighteen's hand rested in the air just where Trunks' head had been a second ago. This time… this time, she actually went and did it. She finally did it! She… the heartless android… has, at last, at long last… saved someone! She suddenly wondered why she hadn't done this in the past. It feels refreshing that although she is an android, created for the sole purpose of causing pain and hatred, she can still save a person's life.

She frankly didn't know what overcame her senses. It wasn't the usual feelings of foreboding or confusion that she usually felt. No, it was something she had never felt before in her life. The feeling was so foreign; she didn't even have a name for it. However, she shook all thoughts away and stared at the unconscious body. She held the boy's hand and noted the difference between his and hers. His hand was warm, even in his current state. She knew his warmth was due to the equally warm blood running through his veins. She couldn't help but feel something not so unfamiliar. Envy, that was the name for it. While the boy had a warm body and life coursing through him, she was practically living in destruction which her 'family' caused. While she had a cold body which was a human's with metal merged with it, the boy had people who actually cared about him.

She didn't know what provoked her to save this boy, but it was already done. What was she supposed to do with him now? Licking her lips in thought, the gorgeous woman carried the boy over her shoulders and flew upwards. She decided to take the boy to the place she found him with a lot of people years ago.

It was quite far from here, but she figured that her brother and companion wouldn't mind as long as they think she's here having fun with torturing the boy before disposing of him like a predator would its prey. She thanked the heavens for not having a detectable ki force.

As she slowly flew in the sky, she let her mind wander back to the times she watched this kid's friend ruthlessly murdered. And all for what? Just for her brother to get rid of some of his boredom. All those lives of people lost unjustly. Only because he wanted something fun to do. She didn't see how her brother could take pleasure in killing people who didn't deserve to die, like these who were there to protect their planet. It all started on the day they were released. And from that day on, everything turned haywire. The once beautiful trees and lush fields of the blue planet turned grey and soulless. The numerous animals which once upon a time scurried in the wilderness were no more. She remembered the course of destruction they took since the day the doctor set them free. The day they started killing. The time they killed Son Goku.

_*Flashback*_

_The three androids had just woken up after so long. Their mission was clear. Kill Son Goku. However, now that their creator was dead, it wasn't dire to complete that quest. For some reason, though, Sixteen seemed dead set about finishing the saiyan off. Thus, the trio stole a vehicle from a civilian, much to Seventeen's amusement and the man's chagrin. The bumpy ride was more than Eighteen could take and she soon got out of the vehicle and chose to fly to the Son residence. Sixteen trailed after her and almost immediately Seventeen did too, no one paid his babbling any mind, and they reached their destination in an hour or so. _

_Once they did, Eighteen watched the young boy with messy hair as he tried his best to stop his mother's silent crying while a man's angst-filled screams filled the house. She stared at the scene with sympathy, and suddenly just trailing along her companions to fulfill their idea of fun just wasn't acceptable anymore. _

_Her pity wasn't mutual though. Her brother watched with disgust, for some unknown reason while Sixteen stared impassively, his will still unwavering to kill that Goku guy. Never the one to wait, Seventeen broke the door down surprising both mother and son. The young boy, who she later found out was Son Gohan, took a defensive stance in front of his mother. _

"_Who are you? What do you want?" the boy asked in a firm tone way too mature for his age, he searched frantically for a ki from the man, but was able to get none. _

"_Where's Son Goku?" Sixteen asked monotonically. _

"_He's not feeling well, so I'm going to have to ask you to get out of my house!" the woman shouted while pointing at the direction the door used to be in. A loud groan followed by coughs and a bit of wheezing was heard from the second floor. ChiChi sent a worried glance to the staircase but resisted the urge to get to the other floor. A wicked grin replaced the stoic expression Seventeen held a few moments ago. _

"_I'm guessing that's him," Seventeen said as he headed towards the stairs, "Come on, Sixteen," ChiChi practically sprinted to the bottom of the staircase blocking the strangers' way. She knew they could slap her across the room, or kill her with a flick of their hand seeing how easily they broke the door. However, she'd be damned if she let them come close to her Goku without at least trying to stall them a bit. _

"_Mom!" Gohan yelled out to his mother. He didn't need to say anything, ChiChi heard his silent plea, 'Get out of the way, let them go.' Nonetheless, Son ChiChi was not a quitter and when she put her mind to something, she did it to the very end. Right now, she had guarding this staircase as her quest. And no matter what happens, she's going to do this. For Goku and for Gohan. _

_Eighteen watched the woman's resolve with awe. This frail human woman knew that she stood no chance. She was sure that if she stood in the intruders' way she would only get killed, but she didn't waver and if she felt any fear she did not show it. Not a cower, not a tremble nor a shiver in fear. _

"_I won't allow you to go in now. I said he's not feeling well, so come back some other time!" ChiChi yelled, "And now get out!" _

"_Yes, please do get out," A cool voice said from the opening of the house, "It's obvious that they can't see any visitors now, and I'm pretty sure you came here for a spar. I'll give you one outside," the green Namekian stated as he crossed his arms. ChiChi couldn't remember a time when she felt any sense of gratitude for her child's kidnapper, but if she ever was going to thank the Namek for anything, this would be it. _

"_So be it… You're no Goku, but once I'm done with you, I'll come back here anyways," Seventeen shrugged, "Don't start anything without me Sixteen!" He yelled before stomping out of the house. Eighteen watched as her brother went with the green alien. She decided that staying outside won't do anyone anything, so she went in as well. The woman was still at her post in front of the flight of stairs. She didn't look the least bit surprised when she entered, Eighteen noted._

"_Not surprised?" she heard herself asking._

"_Far from it," the woman let out a snort, "I'm used to things like this happening," the statement was said so lowly, filled with sorrow and sadness, the child went to comfort his mother having heard her, but Eighteen knew he didn't understand. She felt her pity for this family grow since she knew its fate. She watched the walls suddenly finding them fascinating. She looked at the pictures and each one was almost identical to the one before it. The kid as a newborn carried between his parents while they all smiled at the camera. The boy, who seemed almost two, swinging on a handmade swing with his father pushing it slowly as not to scare him; both with equally joyful smiles on their faces. The mother chopping up vegetables whilst the child, now older and looked like a seven year old, attempting to help her; both had wide grins decorating their faces. In every picture, those smiles stuck to their faces. _

_Eighteen knew that the family had always been happy together just by looking at the photos. However, that's the thing about life. It had that bad habit of ruining every beautiful moment. And right now, this family's life was taking a horrible twist. _

"_Hey Sixteen, why don't you go see why Seventeen is taking so long," she requested, but it came out more like an order. Sixteen got out of the place without a word. _

"_I would get out of here now, while I still can if I were you," Eighteen stated, this time speaking to both mother and son, "We will kill Son Goku, and you too, if you get in our way," _

"_Are you telling me to leave my husband to die?" ChiChi demanded._

"_I'm giving you a chance to live," Eighteen replied emotionlessly, "Take your kid and leave," ChiChi's eyes widened, during the fiasco, she had forgotten all about Gohan._

"_Gohan, go now," she ordered quietly._

"_What?" Gohan asked his eyes as wide as saucers. ChiChi nodded towards the fallen door._

"_Go now, Gohan. Don't look back," ChiChi said again, moving away from the staircase whilst sending a warning glance towards the female android. _

"_Mom…" Gohan said in a small voice. He didn't like this, not one bit, "Mister Piccolo is fighting that guy with black hair. And I can sense the others coming too. I can help if I st-" _

"_No, Gohan!" ChiChi yelled surprising the kid, "Just go now," ChiChi said before she dragged the boy into a hug. Gohan hugged back, his sobs clearly heard. ChiChi let her tears fall down silently. She didn't want her son to see them; it would give him a reason to stay._

"_Go to the lookout," she whispered in his ear, careful not to let the android hear. Gohan nodded. He walked towards the door, but he ran back and hugged his mother again, kissed her forehead, told her he loved her, and asked her to take care. Somehow, the boy knew it was the last thing he was going to tell her. Then, Gohan got out of the house, his tears came back with a vengeance and both women were sure that he cried all the way towards the place. _

"_Thank you," ChiChi told the female, "for letting my son go," _

"_You can still follow him too. My companions aren't back yet, and I don't want to kill people I don't have to kill," _

"_Why would you have to kill anyone?" ChiChi asked out of the blue, "You don't need to kill people to stay alive," _

"_I know, but…" Eighteen never got to think about it herself since Seventeen and Sixteen returned just then. Sixteen looked just the way he had before leaving, but Seventeen was covered from head to toe with purple blood. _

"_We had fun, Eighteen, you should have been there!" Seventeen said his voice neutral like he was talking about the weather._

"_Where's the kid?" Sixteen asked not missing a beat. _

"_Gah! Who cares? We're here for that Goku guy!" Seventeen exclaimed, he glanced at the stairs leading to their target and groaned when he saw the woman glaring daggers at them yet again. _

"_Just get out of the way and we promise we'll make your death a quick one!" Seventeen said cheerfully. ChiChi did not budge. Heavy steps caused all four heads to whip to the stairs. _

"_What's with all the shouting?" Goku asked tiredly, taking one step at a time on the long stairs. _

"_What are you doing out of bed?" ChiChi yelled in concern as she held her husband's hand as he reached the last steps of the stairs. _

"_Don't worry Chi, I'm fine!" Goku said, immediately having a coughing fit afterwards._

"_That's the great Son Goku?" Seventeen asked no one in particular. The next thing Eighteen remembered was a bit of taunting on Seventeen's side, nothing on Sixteen's and cheerful enthusiasm on Goku's. Soon after, the whole Z-gang minus Gohan, Krillen, Bulma, who was pregnant with Trunks, and Piccolo was beside Goku. The two enemy teams took the fight outside. Eighteen wasn't sure what happened next, she didn't cooperate with her team or with the others. She just stood on the sidelines, refusing to indulge in any fighting. The now dead woman's words still echoing loudly in her ears, 'Why would you have to kill anyone?' _

_Later, Eighteen found all the Z-gang members present brutally murdered. The ground below them was painted blood red and pieces of clothing littered the ground everywhere. Corpses were situated in different places. The two androids didn't look too battered. In fact, to a far-looker they would appear unscathed. She heard Sixteen saying that there was a power sky-rocketing and still getting stronger. She can still make out Seventeen's smiling face and eagerness to fight, but they didn't go fight that guy with the big power level. Instead, they chose to slaughter a whole city._

_*End of Flashback*_

Eighteen shook her head as she thought back to that day. Their first killing spree. She hated thinking about it. However, she knew for a fact that she cannot go back and change it. Moreover, she was sure that even if she could, she wouldn't have enough willpower to stand against her sibling and companion. She was not that dark-haired woman. She wasn't that bald midget. And she sure wasn't Son Gohan. She sighed as they neared their destination and carefully laid the boy and hid him between the bushes before she headed towards where she last saw her brother and his best friend.

Trunks was still unconscious by the time the android was long gone. He was having a dream of his own. More like a long-forgotten memory.

_*Flashback*_

"_So tell me Trunks, what do you think about these androids?" Gohan asked as he walked through the many hallways of the hideout. _

"_Huh?" Trunks looked quizzically at Gohan, "Well…" Trunks sighed remembering a certain blonde and her friendly smile, he shook his head, "I think they're all bad and evil. What do you think?" he asked with the curiosity of a five-year-old. _

"_I also think that they're just as you said…" Gohan said, pausing in thought, "but, if I were to be frank, I don't think all of them are," _

"_But there are only three, which one isn't bad, in your opinion?" Trunks asked again._

"_You know that blonde one?" Gohan asked receiving a nod in response, "That one," _

"_Why her?" Trunks asked as he cocked his head to the side. _

"_I have my reasons," Gohan said as his eyes closed as if remembering a painful incident. Before Trunks could ask him another question, the two reached the training grounds and started their daily routine. After the training session, Trunks forgot all about the conversation._

_*End of Flashback*_

Trunks regained his senses slowly. The little but steady pain at the back of his head was proof enough that he was still alive and well, just horribly exhausted. He opened his blue eyes carefully just in case the enemy was close by and hasn't noticed his awakening yet. His eyes half-open now, he studied his surroundings noiselessly. He instantly noticed the change in setting despite his still jostled thoughts. He knew where he was. He's been in that cave just down the tracks enough to know it when he's near.

He got up from his laid down position when he was positive that no enemy was lurking around. He groaned in pain as he recalled his painful experience. All the memories came back to him at once, and he knew he somehow got away. He also knew for certain that the blonde had something to do with it. Ignoring the throbbing of his head, he took a few steps and realized that Seventeen did more than he anticipated. He shook his head, but immediately regretted it as the throbbing intensified. He decided to sit down for a bit. He didn't miss the rustle of the bushes nearby and was immediately on his guard.

"Trunks?" a familiar voice asked worry lacing its tone, "Is that you?"

"Yup, it's me alright. What are you doing here Kitai?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise but failing miserably.

"We're scouting for food, duh!" Kitai exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Look at you! You look awful! You okay?"

"You have to go this far out for food?" Trunks asked in bewilderment.

"It's not that far, we found a shortcut!" the other said as the team of scouters huddled over Trunks, "Come on, we'll take you back home!"

Two of the team members hauled Trunks up and situated Trunks' arms on one of their respective shoulders. The team proceeded to take turns on the way as they came closer to the current hiding place. Trunks' will grew stronger than ever as he watched the team help him, 'I can't die… not when the people I love still live!' he thought to himself as they finally made it to the place.

"Oh Trunks!" Bulma exclaimed with worry, "Where have you been? I was so worried!" Bulma held his face in her hands and rubbed her thumb against her cheek affectionately, "I thought you were gone…" she whispered and Trunks noticed how pale she looked and the trail of dried up tears on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Trunks apologized, guilt hit him full-force as his mom searched his body for any sign of deep injuries. Having found none, his mother smiled that brilliant smile of hers which only multiplied the guilt he felt as he noticed that she was close to crying again.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" she exclaimed, "Come on, I'll get you something to eat and you can rest now,"

"No, Mother," he said whilst shaking his head, "Not now. I have to train,"

"But you just got back! You need rest, Trunks!"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Trunks said as he grinned comfortingly at her, "I have to get stronger; I have to protect those dear to me. Today, it was evident that I can't with my current power, but I can if I train harder!"

"Well, honey," she said, her heart filling with pride, "I think it's time I told you a little secret,"

**Author's Notes:** Again, I'm so sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoyed the extra lengthy chapter! Please review and tell me what you honestly think! CC will be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading! Sorry for the lack of battle scenes, but I'll be sure to include them later on. The only reason I didn't was because Eighteen didn't help in the battle and it was kind of what she saw which wasn't much.

**I'll be posting the characters' power levels. However, these power levels are by no means accurate; they are just for you to compare the characters' strength. So here they are:**

**Cyborg 17: **150M (suppressed)

**Trunks: **35M (Max Power)

**Android 16: **?

**Cyborg 18: **?

**A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 2:**

**LordHerod: **I'm glad to know that you're enjoying the fic so far, there is so much more to come, so keep reading : )

**gesto: **Always nice to hear from you! You really made my day!

**amariko: **Everyone should thank you really. I wouldn't have updated today if it weren't for you ;) Thanks!

**Guest: **Thanks! Is this much longer better? :D

**plot lover: **That's really nice of you, it's really great to know that a lot of people like the plot!

**Alex: **Hope you like the new update! Thanks for the compliment!

**References:**

**1: **From dragonball. wikia: Trunks slashes the opponent multiple times with his swrod in rapid motions.

**2: **From dragonball. wikia: Trunks swings his sword rapidly, sending waves of energy blades that hit the opponent.

**Thanks for reading! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: I'm really, extra sorry for the long wait, but here it is! Chapter 4! And it's not that short, too. XD I would love to take this chance to thank everyone who has ever given this story his or her attention, you have no idea how much that motivates me to keep on writing and bringing new chapters to you! Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DBZ!**

**Chapter 4 **

"I've been working on this for quite a while," Bulma said, her eyes gleaming in glee, "I'm positive that it's going to tip the balance in our favor!" she took a turn and Trunks followed. Their quick pace finally led them to an ordinary looking door. However, Trunks knew that he hadn't been in that part of the hideout before. Bulma's hands were practically shaking with excitement as she all but ripped the door open. She quickly ushered the teenager inside and shut the door closed behind him as if the chamber itself were one of the world's biggest secrets.

"No one but my most trusted assistants know about this room. You probably don't know this, but in all our previous hideouts, there was a space like this one," she said, "Nobody, except them and myself, was ever allowed into them!" she searched her pocket for a couple of seconds and finally, the room was engulfed in the glow of a flashlight. The first thing Trunks noticed was that it was small. The second thing that immediately occurred to him was that most of the space was occupied with a weird looking device; it had a big, metal body, the hatch was open and he could see a make-shift seat inside, the lid was made up of a transparent substance and he could make out arms and legs protruding from the body.

"What is this?" Trunks asked as he extended his hand to touch it. Before he could, however, his mother batted his hand away.

"No touching!" she reprimanded, the light cast an eerie look upon her face that Trunks couldn't help but cringe, "It's just a prototype, and I don't want you touching it and end up breaking it!"

"Sorry… so what is it?" he asked again.

"It's a fighter bot," Bulma replied, that same sparkle returning to her eyes, "It may as well be our last hope,"

"Why? What does it do?" he prodded, cocking his head to one side.

"Well… this one's just a prototype still… but once it's ready, it will be able to defend us," she said, "It will be able to withstand ki blasts as well as fire its own. Also, it will be prepared for combat and flight will be available. Till now, it can fire weak blasts and the arms and legs aren't as strong as they're supposed to be… not to mention its frail defenses… but we'll get there…" her expression turned to one of misery with no small hint of desperation, "We have to,"

"So now, you only need to work on the body?" Trunks asked. Bulma nodded absent-mindedly.

"That's a big problem," she remarked, "These androids didn't leave much materials for us to use… and it will be risky to send people out in them in their current state,"

"Wait, what?" Trunks' eyes practically bulged out form his head, "You're sending out humans to fight androids off in these?"

"We have no choice," Bulma snapped, "To put it bluntly, we don't have the necessary electronic devices to use for a full-pledged robot… we could barely find enough to create this… and we need much more for the ones we are going to make later. I don't have to remind you that we don't have enough time to turn these people into warriors,"

"I know that, but still…" Trunks bit his lower lip nervously, "You'll be sending them to their deaths,"

"We're dying here anyways," she said, "And dying while hiding will not help us in any way. If we were to at least try to defend ourselves…"

"Do what you think is best, Mother," Trunks forced a smile, "Regardless, I still need to get stronger," Suddenly, Bulma's face lit up.

"And I just might know how to do that!" she exclaimed, "I just remembered something important! You can go to the Lookout!"

"Lookout?" Trunks raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

"It's Kami's Lookout," Bulma hastily explained, "Mr. Popo can tell you all the details, but really Trunks, if you want to get stronger fast, then that's the place to go!"

"Well, okay. But how do I get there?" Trunks asked. Bulma pointed off into the sky.

"It's up there… somewhere," she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "It used to be connected to a sort of tower before… but I'm not sure it's still there what with the androids and all. The tower was in the Sacred Land of Korin."

"Do you know the exact location of that area?" Trunks asked.

"Well," Bulma rummaged through some papers and finally came up with a map, "It's supposed to be somewhere here," she pointed at a specific location.

"What should I do if I don't find it?" Bulma shrugged.

"I don't know of any other way to find the Lookout. You need to find the tower," Bulma said, "Rest up first and then go; it sure won't be going anywhere," Trunks nodded and exited the room, his mother followed suit and they both returned to the living quarters in the hideout.

The sky was swallowed up with the bright combination of different shades of orange and red when Trunks finally decided that it was time to leave. He had rested up, eaten and gotten his things ready for the trip ahead of him during the last couple of hours. He took one last glance at their hiding place before bidding his mother farewell and marching off into the distance. According to the information given, he would need no less than an hour just to get to the general location of the tower. It would definitely take him longer to search for it and get to the Lookout. He let out a sigh as he finally reached a safe enough distance from the hidden sanctuary to start using his ki. He felt the familiar rush of power as he prepared for take-off.

-oOo-

"So was it fun?" Seventeen asked his sister, eyes wide in curiosity.

"Was what fun?"

"Oh, you know, killing that boy," Seventeen licked his lips in anticipation. Eighteen disappointed him when all she did was hum, "Is that a yes or a no?" he prodded, his tone taking a hint of annoyance, "I gotta say, he didn't look like much… Could have beaten him with both hands behind my back, an injured leg and both eyes closed,"

"Sure you could have," Eighteen rolled her eyes when her brother proceeded to defend himself and protest loudly. Very, very loudly… and infuriatingly. At some point, his voice started becoming whiny that it seemed to grate on her nerves. She chanced a glance at their companion and it didn't surprise her when she saw how aloof and uncaring he was. To her, it seemed he was more interested in the plain desert around them than anything else. They had come here, at Seventeen's request as was usual, for some reason or the other.

"Hey! Eighteen!" she woke up from her trance to her twin's noisy yelling in her ear.

"What?!"

"I've been calling your name for ages!" Seventeen dramatically crossed his arms and sniffed unhappily.

"Well, what do you want?!" she asked the now grinning man. She sent a cold glare his way when he opened his mouth. Realizing that it was not the time to disturb the girl, he snapped his mouth shut with a 'humph' and left the blonde to her own devices opting to try to crack his orange-haired companion instead. Eighteen saw a purple blur from the corner of her eye. She made sure that her companions weren't paying attention and slipped from the group before silently trailing a certain lavender-haired boy.

-oOo-

Trunks reached the Sacred Land of Korin at last, and he was surprised to discover that this area had not been destroyed. He relished in the cool breeze. His eyes roamed over the vibrant green plants. The soothing atmosphere and animal sounds put his mind at ease. He felt more relaxed than ever when all the calming factors blended in as one to impart a sense of harmony, of serenity… of _life_.

He shook everything aside, however, when he remembered his task. He had to find a tower. He looked around and was not surprised to find a white kind of pole standing in the distance. He quickly flew towards it. Once he was close enough, he flew upwards at top speed. He didn't care when he started feeling a bit of fatigue nor did he care when his breaths came out in rushed pants as the oxygen decreased. He didn't stop when he started feeling light-headed. Instead, he thrust upwards with all his remaining power. Finally, he reached what he thought must be the Lookout. Almost immediately, a black figure came into sight.

"Hello there," the new person greeted.

"Hello," Trunks said politely, "You must be Mr. Popo,"

"That is correct," Mr. Popo said with a smile.

"My name's Trunks. My mother, Bulma, said that you can train me to become stronger!" Trunks said, "Please, please help me!" he pleaded.

"No need for all this, Trunks," Mr. Popo said, "I will help you… you are the last of the Z fighters, after all. The Earth needs you. The survival of the human race depends on you. It might seem like such a heavy burden on your shoulders, but with enough guidance… you will be powerful enough to stop the reign of terror the androids started!"

"I'll do anything to stop them…" Images crowded in the teenager's mind and he shut his eyes tight to block the pictures of corpses, misery and helplessness.

"Very well…" Mr. Popo said as he clapped his hands together, "We'll start with one of the most essential skill you need… it might not do you good against the androids, but you'll need it,"

"How can this help me, if I'm not going to use it against my current enemies?"

"Trust me, Trunks," Trunks nodded, "Now, I'll teach you how to sense ki,"

-oOo-

Eighteen wasn't far behind Trunks, she quickly his in a not so far off place and listened to the two talk. Her ears perked up when she heard that he was going to learn new things from this strange persona. She watched the teacher instruct his student about how to sense ki. After Mr. Popo tried to explain how to read a person's ki, Eighteen had it down and could sense the two people in front of her. She closed her eyes and delved deeper into the boy's ki. She saw him in a new light. His life force was strong, its warmth radiating off of him in waves. She prodded into it more and she could feel the firm conviction he had inside. His ki jolted when he finally learned the technique and Eighteen jerked with it. She slowly opened her eyes and refrained from making any noise as not to attract attention. She never thought anything could feel so alive.

"Now, I'm going to teach you some attacks," Mr. Popo said, "Now these, you can use against the androids,"

"Okay, let's do this," Trunks' expression changed to one of seriousness.

"First, let's see how powerful you are," Mr. Popo said, "I don't think any of the androids can sense ki all the way here, so we should be safe," Eighteen almost snorted. With her finally acquiring this skill, there were now two androids who could read ki. Eighteen's eyes widened. _Oh no…_ She quickly but noiselessly flew away from the Lookout. She let herself free-fall towards the Earth with one thought in mind. Trunks' rising ki from above jumbled her thoughts. She had to stop Sixteen from leading Seventeen to the Lookout. She had to stop them from finding Trunks. She didn't know why it was suddenly so important, but she didn't care either. She caught herself just before making contact with the ground and soared through the sky. She almost cried out in joy when she found the two other androids in the nick of time.

"And where do you think you two are going?" she demanded, her voice angry and expression even more furious.

"Oh, there you are, Eighteen. Where have you been?" Seventeen asked.

"It doesn't matter!" she snapped a bit too quickly, "Where are you going?"

"Sixteen said that there's something powerful up there," Seventeen said as he pointed upwards, "We're going to check it out,"

"You can't go!" Seventeen raised an eyebrow at his sister's sudden change in attitude.

"Why not?"

"Because…" Eighteen scrambled for an excuse, "I have to go get some new clothes," Definitely not the best reason she could come up with and she mentally kicked herself for a lack of creativity.

"What does that have to do with us?" Seventeen asked, his face showing nothing but annoyance.

"We always do what you want," she stated, regaining her composure, "Time to do something I want for a change," Seventeen opened his mouth to protest.

"The strong ki I felt earlier is now gone," Sixteen stated matter-of-factly, "It might have been a malfunction," Eighteen mentally sighed in relief.

"Well, if that's the case…" Seventeen muttered under his breath, "You lead, Eighteen,"

-oOo-

"Not bad at all, Trunks," Mr. Popo complimented, "You're ready to learn the few offensive moves I know," he looked at his pupil apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Trunks, but I'm not much of a trainer. I can only teach you a few attacks, but the rest you're going to have to teach yourself in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber,"

"Hyper what now?" Trunks asked.

"I'll tell you everything later," Mr. Popo said, "Now, let's start with the first attack. This one I learned from Goku. I'm pretty sure you've seen Gohan and Krillen use it before," Trunks blocked out any feelings of sadness at the mention of his former mentor and bald friend, "It's called the Kamehameha," Mr. Popo taught Trunks how to do the Kamehameha and a couple others he picked up over the years. He corrected him when he made a mistake and encouraged him when he failed. He applauded his student when he learned a new move and helped him improve his fighting stance. He informed him about how to strengthen his punches and kicks. Mr. Popo corrected the flaws he found in the boy's defenses. The two worked well past when nights came and went only stopping every once in a while to relieve themselves, eat, drink or sleep.

"Excellent work, Trunks!" Mr. Popo exclaimed, "I have taught everything I can possibly teach you. You are a very good student and a fast learner,"

"Thanks, I have a great teacher!" He grinned cheerfully.

"Now, I'm going to tell you about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," Mr. Popo said, "One year inside the chamber is equivalent to one day outside. Once you enter, the gravity will become ten times higher than the gravity on Earth. Beware that the deeper you venture inside, the thicker the air gets and the more the temperature fluctuates," After some thought, he added, "It is risky to send you in alone… I don't know what you'll do if you're injured in there, two people are usually sent in together, you see,"

"You're not going in there with me?" Trunks questioned.

"No, I have to take care of the Lookout," Mr. Popo answered," That's my job, I can't leave for any amount of time. If anything happens in there, try to get to the door and get out,"

"Okay, I'll be careful," Trunks said, determination blazing in his eyes like a never-ending fire.

"Very well, then. Follow me," Mr. Popo went inside the domed building and led Trunks to the chamber. Trunks took a deep breath. This was it. This was his last hope for getting stronger. He clenched his fists and hoped for the best as he entered the room.

**Author's Notes: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. The truth is… it's been sitting around on my laptop for more than a month… but I couldn't upload it until now. Again, thank you for sticking with me and this story. Till next time!**

**I won't put any power levels for this chapter since my friend has not yet told me what the power levels are supposed to be at this point in time, and this is first and foremost my friend's idea, so until then, this will remain blank. **

**A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 3:**

**gesto: **I'm glad you liked it! As usual, you're the first to review the chapter! Thanks for your continued support! ^_^

**Raos: **To an author, every new reader counts, I'm just really happy that this story still gets attention at all considering the time it takes for an update to actually come out :S

**amariko: **Thank you so much! Your long review was really refreshing and it brought a smile to my face! Thanks a bunch! I'm going for the 'Gohan was Trunks' mentor in the future time-line' idea, so there's gotta be about a seven year difference between them, so if Trunks one when the androids first attacked, Gohan would be eight. Of course Vegeta and the others all fought them, and all battles will come to light when the time comes. Please note that this story has a lot of twists and many, many battles that will come in the future. Thanks again for the long review! And an even bigger thank you for reading!

**Alex: **Thanks a lot! Actually, Eighteen is my favorite female DBZ character! I absolutely adore her! Hope you enjoyed this update as well!

**One last thing… Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit fast-paced… but I saw no reason to prolong it and make it into multiple chapters when I could provide the idea and then continue the story in the next chapters. **

**Thanks for reading!**


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